Moira Trachtenberg, Writer & Visual Artist
Wisps of inspiration from TAP Fall 2020:
"Look to water for the touch we are craving" —Janet Pfeffer
"I am a snake with skin that's shedding" — Ingz Romero
A lifelong New Yorker, Moira has been experimenting with words and visual art ever since her mother set her up with an art corner in the basement as a kid. Her poetry ranges from the memoir-ish to the political, from the narrative to the lyrical. Her poem “Old Glory,” written in response to the 2016 US presidential election was featured later that week by Tikkun Daily online. Her poetry has been featured in Writing the Walls, an ekphrastic poetry project and anthology, at Hudson Valley MOCA, and performed at the Emotive Fruition theater collaborative in NYC. Moira collects and assembles random worn objects, both natural and human-made, sculpted first by the sea and the street. How do found objects speak to each other? When does detritus become art? Having a camera at all times on a cellphone has been lifechanging. Her fine art photos have been exhibited in juried shows, most recently at the “Fragile Waterways” exhibit at Teatown Nature Preserve (2019/2020).
Moira is grateful to be working as a Teaching Artist with the Community-Word Project. Her residency at a homeless shelter in the Bronx ended abruptly when Covid-19 struck in early Spring, 2020, leading her to create video lessons. She is looking forward to interacting again soon with students at PS 85 in Queens in a live virtual classroom. Moira holds an MFA in Fiction from NYU, where she taught undergraduate creative writing and was awarded a Starworks teaching fellowship.
TAP Work:
"I opted for the Collaborative and Inclusive fieldwork opportunity, and I feel very inspired by both our mentor, Adriana Guzmán, and my co-collaborating TAPees. We have been identifying issues that we are passionate about, and exploring ways to take action and generate impact in ways that are both intersectional and inclusive. One of the most wonderful things about Teaching Artist professional development is that everything we are taught, and the way we are taught, is applicable to our teaching artistry, so just by participating our toolbox expands, levitates and floats in the air. It is magical."
Most Memorable TAP Moment:
"Victoria Perez-Maggiolo, a TAP colleague, was sharing her art, a scene from a ten-minute play. She asked for someone to read one of the parts, and I volunteered. The play turned out to be a daughter confronting her alcoholic father about the impact of his disease upon her and her family. It was very moving to me to read the role of the daughter, because I related so deeply to the times I did and did not confront the alcoholics in my family (and their co-dependent, enabling spouses). The pain is so real, but healing through the arts is real, too."
Find out more about Moira here:
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